


your hand is on my hand

by paxamnights



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 12:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5048995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paxamnights/pseuds/paxamnights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Mm, but I’m all yours, of course.” He smirks, watching as Harry’s cheeks darken. “But really, I love having you lot around for a big Christmas dinner with everybody’s families. It’s like, the perfect day being surrounded by all the people you love and care about and being full of good food on top of that.”</p><p>Harry shakes his head, “You’re such a sap, y’know?”</p><p>“You <i>love</i> it.”</p><p>He looks up, a dimpled smile so warm on his face that it makes Louis feels full. “I love <i>you</i>.”</p><p>“I—” Louis starts, but then the doorbell rings. “—should probably go get that.”</p><p>--</p><p>or, five snapshots of Louis and Harry's lives as each other's homes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	your hand is on my hand

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so i know everyone's heard home by now but when i heard it at 1AM after it got put on the brazilian spotify, it touched me to my very core. never have i ever cried on a first listen to a song, but with the beautiful melody tied together with the pure and telling lyrics, i was inspired to write something--anything, really--and this is what came out of it.
> 
> i hope you enjoy.
> 
> (title is take from next in line by walk the moon)

i.

Louis wakes up to the faint smell of tea, and a camera in his face.

“Jesus,” He groans, covering his face instinctively as the lens disappears, “Give a man some personal space or summat.” 

“You usually sleep longer,” Harry yawns, “But morning to you, too.”

Louis rolls his eyes, “How many more pictures do you need for the scrapbook?”

“Infinity.” The boy—no, man with the long brown curls says, lying back down with a grin. “I can always add in more pages.”

“It’ll be so full you won’t even be able to turn the page.” He hums as Harry curls up into him. “Feels like I haven’t held you in ages. Missed you.”

Harry hums an affirmation, pressing a kiss to the center of his chest. He’s so close that Louis can feel his eyelashes tickle his skin as he blinks, the little clouds of heat as he breathes out, the coldness of his nose. Out of the window, he can see the beginning of the sunrise, the beginning of their goodbye, another day of endless acting ahead of them both. He lets his fingers weave their way into Harry’s locks, as if he could anchor himself in the moment that way. 

In his mind, he’s only counting the days until they’re momentarily free again, which is bittersweet in the sense that yes, they’ll be taking a long break for the first time in five years, an actual chance to wind down and get a few good breaths in, but they’ll also be saying goodbye to the adrenaline rushes of the concerts, the pleasure of making someone’s day just by smiling in their direction, the familiarity of routine and the comfort of being under the other boys’ skin. It’s not forever, he tells himself, and he knows for sure that he and Niall and Liam will keep in contact and they’ll probably meet up regularly if only just to talk shit, but there’s a little bubble of anticipatory anxiety of having Harry around more and being able to be themselves for a change. He knows it’s silly, because he’s loved Harry since he was eighteen, and no matter how old he gets that will always be true, but he and Harry have never really had more than two weeks time with each other uninterrupted before one of them has to go off for a stunt or turn heads in the press or just pretend they don’t even know the other, and it’s a bit frightening to go from nothing to everything.

He can feel himself starting to slip into that intrusively negative train of thoughts, but then he looks down and sees Harry’s fallen back asleep, mouth partially open and arms loose around his waist, and he remembers that none of that even matters because he’s always had everything, just not all at once. 

Louis smiles to himself, pressing a kiss on top of Harry’s head, drifting back home until the alarm goes off.

 

ii.

“…and I told her she must’ve been off her rocker to even assume—Louis, are you even listening to me?”

His eyes snap away from Harry across the green, surrounded by various members of his family and friends, charming them all with barely more than a smile. “Sorry, a bit distracted, love.”

“I don’t know why they think people still buy this crap,” Eleanor sighs, taking another bite of the wedding cake. “Like, I love your family and all, but you can see the blatant difference between myself and Harry. Hell, he practically _is_ your family, isn’t he?”

Louis just smiles and shrugs, “He’s a bit of everything for me, I think.”

Eleanor snorts, “Save it for someone who hasn’t been beside the both of you through all of this. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you describe him about twenty billion ways in the past four years.”

“Well, you know him. He has that sort of effect.” Louis tries to defend himself as his mum comes over, “Speaking of, doesn’t she look absolutely stunning? I’m shocked that Dan didn’t pass out at the mere sight of you.”

“He’s had a few months to prepare himself,” She kisses his cheek, “Though there’s no need to be all sappy, darling, I look this stunning everyday.”

He nods as Eleanor hides a laugh, “Can’t argue with you there, can I?”

“Never too old to get smacked for being too cheeky.” 

Eleanor opens her mouth to say something, but then Louis’s heart starts racing at the sound of a distinct voice saying, “Well, if it isn’t the lovely Mrs. Deakin!”

His mother blushes, pulling Harry into a hug as soon as he’s in reach. “I assume all the paps gave up trying, then?”

“They just gave me an ok, so I’d assume so.” He pulls off his sunglasses as they part, “The ceremony was so very beautiful, Jay. I almost had to pull out the tissues.”

She smiles at him in a way that’s similar to how Louis thinks he smiles at him. “You’re too kind, love. And I’ve told you, you’re practically up the aisle with my boy, so you’re welcome to start calling me Mum.”

“Of course, Mum.” The phrase is so foreign to his own ears in this context, but it feels right watching Harry kiss her cheek goodbye and then turn towards to him, silent and yet saying more than words could convey.

Eleanor excuses herself as Harry take a seat opposite of her, and suddenly Louis’s throat feels very dry. 

“Your family’s quite big,” Harry says, and it takes more willpower than he’d like to admit not to just kiss him for being so genuinely _Harry_. “They’re all very nice, it’s amazing their manners didn’t rub off on you.”

Louis scoffs, “You made at least five dick jokes on the way over!”

“I did,” He nods, “Lottie thought they were great.”

“I’m not going to comment on the inappropriateness of that because today is too nice of a day.” Louis says, more to himself than anything as he stands. “Instead, I believe that they’re about to start playing the music for dances, and even if we’re both shit at it you know the girls won’t have it if we aren’t out there for at least one song.”

Harry fakes a gasp, “Why, Louis, are you asking me for a dance?”

“I’m about to ask you for your eternal silence, actually.” He says, but then Harry’s hand is in his and he’s got this amused look in his eyes because he knows exactly what he’s doing, and Louis can’t help but return it, squeezing his hand gently as they make their way inside. “This’ll be us someday, you know?”

Harry squeezes his back, “Can’t wait.”

 

iii.

**NEW MESSAGE FROM: z**

_me n perrie split_

 

Liam and Niall are on the floor of his hotel room bickering about who gets to be first player on whatever game they’re put on, probably FIFA, and Harry’s gone off somewhere for a stunt that Louis only vaguely remembers the details off when he gets the text, out of the blue and after at least 2 months of static post their Twitter argument. His first instinct is to delete the message, because if he’s honest with himself he’s still feeling a bit petty and is glad that Zayn’s hurting, or at least that he’s alone now.

However, his second instinct, from years of being the older brother figure in the band and in his own home, is to reply.

 

**NEW MESSAGE TO: z**

_wht hapened ???_

 

“Harry’ll be back soon enough, Lou, let ‘em breathe a bit.” Liam pulls him out of his thoughts, “C’mon, scoot down here and cheer me on while I kick Niall’s arse.”

“You mean, cheer me on while I kick _Liam’s_ arse.” Niall corrects the other as Louis shifts toward the foot of the bed. “I’ve been practicing, mate, and I’ve got a whole collection of tricks up my sleeve.”

Liam snorts, “I don’t need tricks, I’ve got pure talent on my side.”

“Whatever helps ya sleep.” Niall shrugs, looking up at Louis who’s still silent. “Jeez, y’look like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’.”

He shakes his head as his phone vibrates, “Nah, I’m good. I play the winner, yeah?”

“Duh.” Liam says as the match starts, and then their focus is completely on the television screen. Louis lets a few minutes pass, commenting at a few plays the two of them are fucking around with, and then checks his phone again.

 

**NEW TEXT FROM: z**

_contract was up. thought we still had somethin tho. she made the call._

 

“You’re missing a great game here, mate.” Niall says, though Louis doesn’t look up, typing out a quick response. “Like, seriously, ‘m already up 3.”

“Seems like a bit of a trap, if I know Li.” Louis hums.

Liam scores a point as if on cue, “Don’t give away my technique.”

“You’ve been pullin’ the same shit since before Z—” The name gets stuck in his throat, and he can see Liam twitch. “…you always do the same crap, is the point.”

Niall sighs, pausing the game, “Look, I know we’ve all got this unspoken pact of like, not really talking about ‘im and all, but we can’t all be actually still be proper mad at him, can we?”

There’s a small moment of silence, and then Liam says quietly, “He’s not messaged me back in weeks.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“We were best mates, Ni!” Liam snaps, and Niall rears back in response, “Like, I know he proper broke your heart and you’re probably still torn up about it even if you don’t wanna say it, but he was my best mate, and then he left me alone after he promised that him leaving the band wouldn’t change us. He just hurt all of us like it was nothing, and then he teamed up with Naughty Boy for Christ’s sake, and he even fought with Louis! On Twitter, of all places! Everyone saw that!”

Louis feels too small for his skin suddenly, and then his phone vibrates, making Liam snap again. “Who’re you texting, anyways?”

He regrets opening his mouth even as he rushes all his words together. “ZaynandPerriebrokeupandhe’sreallytornupoverit.”

Liam goes from being red in the face to being completely silent, and Louis can feel him shattering. “What?”

“He, um,” He looks at his hands, “He really was reeling over her, I guess. Contract was over, though, since it got shorter when he left and she wanted it to be over for real.”

The room is quiet aside from the background music of the game, and he feels like he needs to take a very long shower. Liam’s not said anything else, and Niall’s just got his head in his hands, trying to catch his breath. Louis understands, though. Zayn’s been the estranged family member for longer than they’d admit now, and the fact he went to Louis of all people for comfort wasn’t anything any of them would’ve expected to happen. 

Liam gets up, “Think I’m gonna head off to bed.”

“Liam—”

“I’m just really tired, Lou.” His voice cracks as he says it and Louis doesn’t press it, doesn’t say anything more as he leaves with the door clicking softly shut behind him.

Niall laughs bitterly, “Innit just what we needed, more crap t’ carry ‘round.”

“S’not like I asked him to text me,” Louis groans, “God, I should’ve just deleted it. Ignored it and let him figure the shit out on his own like we’ve been doing for the past few months.”

The blonde shakes his head, “Nah, I would’ve done the same. Just it’s inconsiderate for him t’ be in and out of our life whenever he wants to be. S’not fair at all, really.”

“Still,” Louis leans back on the bed, “I’ve upset Liam and he’ll probably be in a bad mood tomorrow and it’s not _really_ my fault but it is, and it’s shit. Zayn’s shit. S’just not fair.”

Niall pats his leg as he stands up, “I miss him too, mate.”

“Missed a sleepover, did I?” Harry enters the room, bright as the sun itself until he notices the atmosphere. “Well, I missed something, at least.”

Niall squeezes his shoulder on the way out, “We’re always missing something.”

The door clicks shut again, and Harry is silent as he shrugs out of his coat, not bothering with the rest of his clothes as he lies down on the bed beside his boyfriend. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then takes Louis’s hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of it, and almost instantaneously his tension shrinks. “D’you wanna talk about it now or later?”

“Later,” Louis nearly whispers, “Just want a cuddle for now.”

Harry obliges, and they shift their way under the covers, still fully dressed and falling into a peaceful and familiar quiet that brings Louis to tears.

 

iv.

“Ugh, seriously?” Niall scrunches his nose up as he and Harry part, grinning madly at each other. “Let him at least finish the cookies, Louis, I’ve waited all year for this and I can only eat so much of Zayn’s mum’s cooking before I burst. It’s very tempting to keep making m’self plates.”

Louis presses one for kiss to Harry’s lips before he turns away and lets him finish mixing the batter. “You know, Perrie’s not coming round until later with all the family, you can go get a bit of snogging in yourself, if you want.”

Niall huffs, cheeks turning as red as his ugly Christmas sweater that Liam’s got them all wearing. “You’ve got no shame at all, do you?”

“Not much left, I’m afraid.” He grins, leaning on the counter. “Though from what Z’s told me, you’re about the same, right?”

The blonde’s mouth flies open as he quickly heads in the direction he’d come from, “Zayn, I thought you said you weren’t going to tell anyone!”

He can hear the bickering fade as Niall goes further back into the cabin, and then his attention goes back to the curly haired lad shaping cookie dough. “This truly is one of the best times of the year, if I do say so myself.”

“You only like the double amount of presents you get.” Harry teases, flicking a tiny bit of the mix at him, but Louis catches it in his mouth with a wink. “Weirdo.”

“Mm, but I’m all yours, of course.” He smirks, watching as Harry’s cheeks darken. “But really, I love having you lot around for a big Christmas dinner with everybody’s families. It’s like, the perfect day being surrounded by all the people you love and care about and being full of good food on top of that.”

Harry shakes his head, “You’re such a sap, y’know?”

“You _love_ it.”

He looks up, a dimpled smile so warm on his face that it makes Louis feels full. “I love _you_.”

“I—” He starts, but then the doorbell rings. “—should probably go get that.”

“I’ll be here,” Harry calls as he goes to the door, a bit confused at the unexpected guest. It was supposed to be just the boys (and Sophia, since she and Liam were attached at the hip these days) until about five, then all their families would come over and they’d all catch up and get stuffed with five different home cooked meals and then they’d all go off their separate ways for the rest of their holiday, but according to the clock in the living room it’s only a bit after two, and no one in their family would break their four years and counting ritual.

So it’s only fitting that the person on the other side of the door isn’t technically a family member.

“El, what are you doing here? I thought you were going home?” He asks, closing the door behind him. It’s pretty chilly out, but the ugly sweater is warmer than he’d originally thought it’d be.

She tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear, “I did, too, but then I got a call saying that seeing as we’ve been dating about three years now, it’d be a little strange if I wasn’t around for dinner and Perrie and Sophia were.”

“For Christ’s sake,” Louis pulls at his face with one hand, “God, and they couldn’t have sent an email or something? Some kind of heads up?”

“I’m sorry, you know I wouldn’t be here if they weren’t forcing me to be.” She sighs tiredly, and Louis knows she’s telling the truth. “I’ll only hang around for a few hours, though, just long enough for you all to post a few questionable pictures and then I’ll be out of your hair until next year, hopefully.”

“S’not your fault.” He tells her, opening the door. “I think Sophia’s in the back with Liam and the rest of the boys?”

She nods, “See you later, then.”

His mood’s a bit dampened by the change of action, but he can smell Harry’s cookies in the oven and he walks back into the kitchen as he’s pulling off his apron, even though he’s told him countless times how ridiculous he looks in it. It’s part of their routine, he thinks, remembering the past Christmas dinners with the boys and how they’d gone from being just teammates to being bonded as brothers, watching them all grow and change over the past few years and become people that Louis is constantly grateful to know and love.

“Should be done in twenty minutes or so,” Harry slips his arms around his waist, pressing their foreheads together. There was a time where Louis was just a few inches taller than him, and he constantly reminded him of it then, always teasing him and always on the brink of something more, but now Harry’s grown into this lanky deer-like creature who still favors being thought of as small even though his heart is bigger than the universe itself. “Who was at the door?”

“Eleanor,” Louis pouts, “Said she got a call about how she should be here since all the other girls are going to be over.”

Harry frowns a bit at that, but Louis leans up on his toes to kiss it away, “Hey, we’re fine. Everyone knows—er, well, everyone but Liam and his folks, I guess, but they should catch on eventually. And you get to come home with us!”

“Yours this week, mine the next.” Harry remembers with a smile, “Is it silly that I’m nervous about it?”

Louis snorts, “Babe, you know my mum and the girls adore you twice as much as I do, yeah?”

“But it’s the first time I’ll be over there for more than a few days! And it’s a holiday!” Harry whines, and Louis rolls his eyes. “C’mon, you know this is different, what if the more time everyone spends with me the less they’ll like me? I mean, you get annoyed with me constantly, and so does—”

Louis grabs his face with both of his hands, “Haz, I love you, my family loves you, and that’s unconditionally—hell, you could probably break my heart into pieces and Fizzy and Lottie would probably still invite you over for tea. But they’d probably poison it, so don’t get any ideas.”

“I won’t,” He laughs, taking Louis’s hands in his. “I won’t.”

“Good,” Louis laces them together, “Now, we’ve got about twenty minutes to hang up enough mistletoe to have Liam kiss everyone in the house before the rest of the family gets here, and I’ve already got this great strategy…”

 

v.

 

She is very small.

That’s all Louis can think while he’s holding her, her eyes barely open while her hands are reaching blindly, wrapped tight (but not too tight, Harry insisted) in a green frog blanket that they’d picked out the day they’d found out that they were going to finally have a baby to call their own. It seems like centuries ago, all the preparations that went into effect, all the interviews they did teasing about her arrival, and now—now he’s holding her in his arms for the first time but never, ever the last.

“Lou,” Harry’s voice is soft, “Lou, our mums are here.”

“Just another minute,” He can’t take his eyes off of her, watching as she fully awakens, hazel green eyes wide and looking into his. “Ah, so you finally decided to wake up, huh?”

She whines in response, grasping his fingers and bringing them to her mouth. “Suppose you’re hungry, then?”

“Daddy,” Scout pops her head around the doorframe, “Nan says if you don’t bring your tushie downstairs in the next thirty seconds, she and Gran are gonna come up and you won’t like that very much.”

“The mums have spoken, then.” Louis stands up cautiously, keeping the baby close. “We’re not running behind, are we?”

Harry shakes his head, “Still on track to be early, if we leave in the next ten minutes. Should I take her so you can—”

“It’s fine,” He watches as Scout skips down the stairs, dressed in whatever Harry’s let her pull out of her closet. He’d stopped trying to get her to match over a year ago once she’d turned five, but Harry still tries to persuade her to change her mind on some combinations from time to time. “I know your mum’s gonna take her away the second she sets her eyes on her.”

“You make her sound like an animal.” Harry chuckles, though the moment they hit the bottom of the stairs, they’re surrounded by both of their mothers, who’ve already begun cooing over their new grandchild. “Alright, ladies, one at a time.”

Anne scoops her out of Louis’s arms while sticking out her tongue at her son (Louis gives him an ‘I-told-you-so’ look right after). “Oh, she’s absolutely precious, boys, just beautiful.”

“Though why you’d give her such a mouthful of a name like Cordelia I’ll never understand,” Jay adds, leaning over to grab one of her hands. 

“Well, it’s really the _meaning_ of the name that sold him on it…”

Louis slips away to change into something nicer than a old faded band t-shirt and joggers, though he can faintly hear them all chatting from his bedroom as he does so. He glances at the pictures they’ve got hung up—a string of Polaroids Harry’d taken when they were a five-piece turned four-piece band over the bed, a framed picture of four-year-old Scout on the day they’d been able to bring her home after signing the last of the adoption papers by the dresser, a picture of them and the boys on their wedding day by the window—and he lets himself reminisce about everything he’s done, everything he’s accomplished, everything he’s gained with Harry at his side. 

Coming out after years of shooting down gay rumors was one of the hardest months of his life, but Harry had been at his side the entire time, along with the rest of the band, but Harry was the one who shouldered most of his pain, getting into it with anyone who called him a coward for being in the closet and lying for so long with it was out of their control. Harry was the one who had to calm him down at night when he’d get overwhelmed from the radical division of support or rage towards him wherever he went. Harry was the one who held on with him through years and years of hiding and loved him enough to marry him, loved him enough to live with him and all his flaws, loved him enough to start a beautiful family with him. Harry was the one who kept him anchored.

It wasn’t long before One Direction was less about the music and more about the two of them, what they were doing and what they were saying and so it was a mutual thing for them all to split—for good as a band, but they’d always be friends. Liam’s gone into the producing side of the business, and Niall’s got a growing chain of pubs to oversee, while also going into business with Louis and his record company. Zayn’s made a successful solo career for himself—as well as making up with everyone properly, and even if there are rough patches they refuse to let each other go again—and Harry…Harry’s a bit of everything, what with his upcoming clothing line, writing credits on songs he’d no longer been afraid to give away, and occasional surprise EPs he’d record at least once a year.

Liam and Sophia had beat them to the altar by a few months, as they’d post-poned their own three times because either someone was sick or there was business that couldn’t be rescheduled that needed to be handed, or the weather would be too hot. The ceremonies were equally beautiful, however, and both left everyone crying for different reasons: Liam’s, primarily because he’s just a big sappy puppy dog, and Harry and Louis’s, because they had waited so very long and had been through it all for it to happen. Niall and Zayn, who’d reconciled in a much different way than the other boys had, were still dancing the around the idea of marriage, but they were enjoying the other’s company and that’s all anyone could really ask for. 

“You’re thinking pretty hard there, love.” He jumps at Harry’s voice, seeing him at the door in the mirror. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just remembering things.” He finishes buttoning his shirt, passing his spouse to go to the bathroom and fix his hair.

Harry raises a brow, following him. “Things like what?”

“We’ve just been through a lot, y’know? And now we’ve got two lovely girls and wedding rings on our fingers and a house of our own and…and it’s just nice to think about, I guess. That we made it this far.”

“Even if we hadn’t,” Harry starts, then pauses, leaning on the doorframe. “Actually, I really doubt that we should’ve made it through all the shit we’ve been through. Like, any normal people would give up, but we’re anything but normal, I think, seeing that we’re here, today, in this house that’s full of so much love. You’re the best thing that could’ve happened to me, Louis, and nothing in the world can change that.”

Louis tries to hide his eyes watering, “Are you quite finished?”

“Never,” Harry grins, and then Scout’s banging on the door telling them to hurry up because they absolutely cannot be late for Family Day, and they’re scrambling to the car and making sure Cordelia’s properly fastened in her seat ten times each before they pull off to head to the school. 

(Louis drives, eyes on the road, mind on the feeling of Harry’s hand on his hand on the stick shift.)

Of course, the Payne’s are already there, and Mia’s rushing to hug her cousin the second they enter the classroom, Miles busy playing a game on Liam’s phone. He can see the smug look on Liam’s face from beating them to Family Day three years in a row melt right off as Harry comes in cradling Cordelia, though Sophia gets over to him first, already having fell for her the second she heard her cry.

“You didn’t tell me,” Liam nudges him as they make their way to their seats, “Cheers, though.”

Louis tilts his head towards Harry, “Well, I would’ve if I hadn’t woke up to her crying in the middle of the night because _someone_ tried to surprise me.”

Harry pouts, “Hey, we got a baby, be happy.”

“Yeah, be happy, Daddy!” Scout agrees, but then the teacher’s rounding all the kids up so they can give their little speeches about their families. Most of them are kind of the same in Louis’s mind, though he’s biased because all he cares about is what Scout’s got to say, and of top of that he’s not really listening to them. He’s too busy staring dreamily at the man he fell for at eighteen, began dating at twenty and a half, married at twenty-seven, and has been in love with endlessly for thirteen years and counting.

Harry’s aged gracefully, though his face still holds that childishness it did all those years ago, and he’s kept his hair long, letting it drape on either side of his head for today instead of pinning it back. His mind’s only gotten more beautiful, still writing pieces that bring Louis to tears regularly, and his humor has only gotten worse, but Louis laughs because if he doesn’t then no one will. His passions, his interests, his friends, his loves—Louis has seen him go through many and knows he’ll seem him go through many more, because this is the life he’s somehow managed to get, one that’s constantly got him on his toes and ready for a new adventure.

“She’s on,” Harry whispers, as if he knew Louis wasn’t paying attention.

She’s got her brown curls tucked behind her tiny sun-kissed ears, freckles barely noticeable on her twitching nose, her hands holding a neon pink sign she’s not yet revealed. Louis watches as she takes a deep breath, and then searches for them in the sea of people, smiling widely when she has.

“My family is very special,” She recites. “I have my Daddy and my Papa, and a new baby sister, and lots of uncles and aunties and nanas and grandpas and cousins and…”

Louis flicks his eyes to Harry, “She’s rambling, love, I think you’ve rubbed off on her.”

“Shut up,” Harry kicks his chair.

“…and they all love me very much. But family is more than just the people who love you, just like home is more than the place you live. My dads told me that home is wherever your heart is, but not the one in your body. Home is the thing that makes you the happiest.”

She flips over her sign, a messy but adorable drawing of what has to be every person in her entire world. “The people who make me happiest…that’s my family. And my family is my home.”

Louis is out of his seat clapping louder than anyone else in the room, laughing as Scout curtsies and goes back to her seat. It’s a long wait before he can pick her up and hug her tight, but when he does, Harry and Cordelia right at their side, it’s all he could ever want and more.

**Author's Note:**

> i love to write but like to blog a bit more. you can find me [here](http://humanflu.tumblr.com/). comments are gr8. all the love.


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